28/03/2025
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Samuel G*i Tut and the 1983 Massacre of Dinka SPLA Recruits: The Genesis of Nuer-Dinka Conflict
By Kolongdit Online Media Chief Editor
The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) was founded in 1983 as a revolutionary force to fight for the rights of South Sudanese against Sudan’s oppressive regime. However, from its inception, internal conflicts plagued the movement, with one of the earliest and most significant betrayals coming from Samuel G*i Tut, a prominent leader of Anyanya II. His forces ambushed and killed thousands of SPLA recruits, most of whom were Dinka from Bahr el Ghazal, on their way to Ethiopia for training. This event marked the early Nuer-Dinka tensions, as G*i Tut, a Nuer leader, targeted Dinka recruits, setting a precedent for future ethnic violence.
The Rise of the SPLA and G*i Tut’s Opposition
The SPLA was established on May 16, 1983, by Dr. John Garang de Mabior, alongside Kerubino Kuanyin Bol and William Nyuon Bany. While the movement aimed to unite all South Sudanese against Khartoum, internal divisions quickly surfaced. Samuel G*i Tut, a senior figure in Anyanya II, opposed Garang’s leadership, arguing against the SPLA's centralized control and its alliance with Ethiopia’s Mengistu Haile Mariam.
As a result, G*i Tut’s forces refused to join the SPLA and instead turned against it. His men, largely drawn from Nuer militias, actively ambushed Dinka recruits traveling from Bahr el Ghazal to Ethiopia for military training. These attacks were not just political; they were deeply ethnic, as most of the recruits were young Dinka men who were eager to join Garang’s rebellion.
The Massacre of Dinka Recruits
Between 1983 and 1984, G*i Tut’s Anyanya II forces systematically attacked and killed Dinka SPLA recruits along key routes, particularly in:
Western Upper Nile (Unity State) – a Nuer-dominated area where many Dinka recruits were intercepted and massacred.
Malakal and Nasir Corridor – key pathways where SPLA hopefuls were ambushed, murdered, or forcefully conscripted into Anyanya II.
Greater Bahr el Ghazal – a recruitment hub for the SPLA, where G*i Tut’s forces launched deadly assaults to prevent young men from reaching Ethiopia.
Survivors recount horrifying experiences of mass executions, torture, and forced starvation, all orchestrated by G*i Tut’s forces. The deliberate targeting of Dinka recruits by a Nuer-led militia planted the seeds of deep ethnic mistrust that would later explode into full-scale war in the 1990s and 2013.
The Defeat of G*i Tut and SPLA Consolidation
Despite his ruthless campaign, G*i Tut’s forces were militarily weaker than the SPLA, which had Ethiopian support. In 1984, after multiple clashes with SPLA forces, G*i Tut was killed in battle, marking the decline of Anyanya II’s resistance. Many of his remaining fighters later joined the SPLA, but the scars of his betrayal remained.
His successor, William Abdallah Chuol, eventually surrendered and reintegrated into the SPLA. However, the ethnic divide between Nuer and Dinka, ignited by G*i Tut’s massacres, continued to shape South Sudan’s conflicts for decades.
The Long-Term Impact: The Beginning of Nuer-Dinka Violence
The targeted killing of Dinka recruits by G*i Tut’s forces in 1983 was one of the first major Nuer-on-Dinka massacres in South Sudan’s modern history. This betrayal fueled ethnic animosities that resurfaced repeatedly:
1. 1991 Bor Massacre – Riek Machar’s Nuer-led SPLA-Nasir faction killed thousands of Dinka civilians, continuing the cycle of violence.
2. 2013 Civil War – The conflict between Salva Kiir (Dinka) and Riek Machar (Nuer) led to ethnic massacres, echoing the early tensions from the SPLA’s formation.
3. Ongoing Intercommunal Clashes – The deep-rooted mistrust between Nuer and Dinka communities still leads to frequent violence in South Sudan.
Conclusion
The early years of the SPLA were not just a struggle against Khartoum but also an internal war for leadership and ethnic dominance. Samuel G*i Tut’s betrayal of Dinka SPLA recruits in 1983 was one of the first recorded acts of Nuer-Dinka violence, shaping South Sudan’s troubled history. While the SPLA eventually prevailed, the ethnic wounds inflicted by G*i Tut’s massacres have never fully healed, contributing to the ongoing cycles of war and revenge that continue to plague South Sudan today.
